My grandfather is a 90 year-old WWII vet who fought valiantly as a paratrooper with the 502nd Parachute Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division. Think Band of Brothers. Saving Private Ryan. The Screaming Eagles.

Yet when I asked him to come and speak at the library for Veteran’s Day, he shrugged, saying, “No one wants to hear about what I did. They can just watch a movie or read a book about the war. They don’t want to hear from me.” I argued that he was wrong – while many excellent books and movies do exist on WWII and the 101st, nothing compares to firsthand accounts of jumping from the plane on D-Day, liberating a concentration camp, struggling through the Battle of Bastogne and so much more. His stories convey the horror and triumphs, camaraderie and loss in a way that a book or movie just can’t express. Not to mention, he is one of the few soldiers left from the prestigious 101st Airborne. At 90 years old, each memory he conveys is living history, soon to be gone.

My grandfather will be speaking at the Elkton Central Library November 3rd at 7:00 pm. I’m thrilled because I believe that Cecil Countians ARE interested in history. And that’s why this winter, CCPL is presenting this and many other exciting historical programs that celebrate our local heroes and heritage. Join us for the following:

The 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles fought in most major European battles of World War II. Joseph Lofthouse was a radioman for the 502 Regiment from D-Day to Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge and Hitler’s Eagles Nest. Listen to his remarkable stories of an extraordinary time and of events that changed the world. Registration required.

The Chesapeake Bay is a key feature of Maryland’s geography, but less well known as a graveyard for ships, their passengers, and crews. More than 1,800 shipwrecks have been documented on the Chesapeake from the colonial era to present. Join Don Bonsteel from the Maryland Department of the Enoch Pratt Free Library as he discusses five of the most interesting cases documented. Registration required.